News

Scottish civil service faces £6m cuts

The Scottish government plans to cut at least £6m from its wage bill in a move that could involve the loss of hundreds of civil service jobs.

Unions have warned that they will not rule out industrial action if the SNP presses ahead with its plan to slash staffing costs from £174m to £168m over the coming year.

While ministers have ruled out compulsory redundancies, the Public and Commercial Services Union said it was braced for job losses.

"Public servants are not going to be prepared to pay for the recession with their jobs and the services they provide to the public," said Eddie Reilly, the union's general secretary. "Industrial action can never be ruled out."

Reilly added that he intended to launch a campaign to highlight the issue to his members and would demand a meeting with the government next week to seek clarification on how the cuts would